Dry-kiln.



F. W. RUBIN.

DRY KILN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 5. I918.

1,281,212 Pat ented Oct. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- 2 sum-sugar 2.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

DRY KILN. APPLICATION FILED MAR-5.19M].

F. w. sham.

uwewra Fewer/a M6218 Arm/vars FREDERIC K W. RUBIN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, I1\l 'DI-ENA..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0012.8, 1918.

Application filed March 5, 1918. Serial No. 220,459,.

To all whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that 1,.FREDERIGK W. RUBIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful DrysKiln; and .I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact the accompanyi drawings, in which .like letters refer to ike parts.

- This invention relates to drying timber. One of the features of the invention is the provision of means for directing jets of steam through ricksof timber. A furdescription therlfezf, reference being. had to ,ther feature ofthe invention isthe provision .of means to comingle heated air with thejets of steam so that the ai and steam will travel together through the ricked timber.

. A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for reversing the direcof the timber, said means being reversible so as to cause the air to travel in opposite directions through the layers of timber.

A-further feature of the invention is the provision of means for directing the air from the draft creating device toward the' heating means for the air, when the current is traveling outwardly through the layes of the timber from the central portion of the stack of timber.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for directing live steam into the kiln below the stack of timber to prevent the timber at the lower end of the stack, or that immediately overtthe heating device from becoming more intensely heated than the timbers at the upper, end of' the stack.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for directing the currents of air along the upper wall'of the kiln and so arrange said means that the dripping from condensation will be discharged at prekilns for I determined points, and a further feature of the invention is the. provision of drainsfor catching the condensate and conveying the same to a discharge point and thus prevent the condensate from descending upon the I stack of timber.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the claims:

Figure lis a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the kiln showing the timber trucks in proper position as when timber is stacked thereon. 'Fig. 2 is a transfollowing description and verse vertical section through the kiln showing trucks'having timber stacked thereon. Fig. 3 is a detail; perspective view of the means for directing the currents of air at the upper portion of the kiln and showing the means of conveying the condensate to the drain troughs. Fig. 4jis a detail perspective view showing the means of controlling the travel of the jets of steam and air at the central portion of the kiln, and Fig. 5

is a detail side elevation. of the steam conveying'and controlling pipe. v Y

7 Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate correspofi din'g parts throughout the several views. 1 indicates a kiln which is constructed in any preferred manner, the walls being preferably form "of brick and having ventilat-' ing flues 2 at intervals therein, said flues bev ing connected with the interior of the kiln by means of ventilators 3 of the usual or any preferred form, said ventilators being employed for discharging a certainamount of water .laden air fromthe kiln, so as to constantly require a supply of'fresh air and thus regulate the moisture within the kiln.

In kilns of this class, trackways 4 are extended longitudinally of the kiln upon which travel trucks 5, said trucks being employed for conveyin timber 6 in quan-' tities into the kiln, an as shown in Fig.2

of the drawing the timber is so ricked or stacked upon the trucks that a vertical passageway 7 is provided at the center of the stack of timber and a' series of transverse passages 8 formed, in the stack of timber extending from the central passage to the outer edges of the stack of timber.

In arranging the timber in this manner air, and steam or other dryin medium may control the travel of the steam after escap- I ing throughthe ports and at the same time 7 extending through the sleeves so as to cause properly comingle the same with heated air, sleeves 11 are connected to the pipe 9 and extend. at right angles to the pipe, said pipe the sleeves to surround the ports 10, one end of the ,sleeves'being open, while the, opposite ends thereof are bifurcated to form extensions 12, which project radially from the pipe 9, whereby the vair heated by the radiators 13 will be easily gathered by th, extensions and comingle with the'jets o steam passing through the opposite ends of" the sleeves. 4

When the sleeves 11 and dpipe 9 to which they are attached are turne to the position shown in Fig. 2, the comingled steam and heated air will pass directly into the vertical passageway 7 and upwardly through the stack of'timbe ru I In order to cause the air and steam to travel to the upper end of. the stack of timber, and to pass laterally through'the horizontal passages between the timbers, a plurality of pipes 14 are arranged along the saidwalls of the kiln and extendedto any desired height, each pipe having a plurality into or out of the pipes, said nozzles being arranged at the proper points foiycreating of nozzles 15 through which air may pass the desired current, and'to create a suction or draft said pipes, the lower ends thereof are'brought together and connected to a fan 16, which when rotated in one direction will create a suction through the pipes an when driven in the opposite direction will causea flow of air in the opp'osite'direction.

The fans 16 are preferably driven by steam which is conducted through the motor 17 of the fan by means of a pipe 18, one end of the pipe 18 being preferably connected with one of the ventilatorsS, so that the exhaust steam'm'ay pass up the ventilating flue.

When the drying operation is first started, it has been found thatthe lower tiers of timber will be treated or'dried more rapidly than the upper tiers, so that the timber at this point will not receiVeQthe proper amount of moisture and to obviate this objectionable feature, the pipe 18 which passes through the motor 17 isprovided with a valve 19 which when turned in one direction will cause the exhaust of the motor to pass into the kiln and as it is situated adj acent the lower tiers of the timber, will sup- 3 ply the proper amount of moisture for the superheated timbers.

As soon, however as the proper density valve 19 is closed so as tocause the'exhaust from the motor to pass through the ventilator into the ventilating flue.

When the air is drawn downwardly of the air in the kiln has been acquired, the

through the pipes 14 it is discharged from the'fan 16 into the distributing pipe 20 which extends parallel with the trackway 4 1 and is provided with nozzles 21 which are preferably inclined as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing so as to discharge the air below the timber and directly against the radiators 13'. By positioning the nozzles 21 in this manner they are in position to collect thefheated air directly from the radiators when the current of 'air is being direct ed upwardly and outwardly through the ,1 nozzles 15.

The fresh air 1s introduced into the kiln in any suitable manner, but preferably through an air duct 22 which is positioned longitudinally of the kiln below the radiators, the air when discharged through v the air duct passing directly upwardly be- 7 tween and around the radiators.

As shown in the drawings there are three nozzles in each pipe section 14, but it will -be understood, of vcourse that this number may be increasedor decreased according to t he height ofthe kiln, thus adapting the same for use in connectionwith v piles of lumber of various heights.

In view of the. fact that the heated air is charged with steam, a condensate is naturally formed onthe roof or top wall of thetimber if. no provision is made to collect and dispose-of the condensate and likewise the current or travel of the air adjacent the roof of the kiln will become sluggish if no means To this'e'nd,therefore, means is suspended from the top wall or ceiling 23-01 the kiln for increasing or forming a, draft at this point, and for athering any condensate that may form on t e eiling comprising brackets 24, which are suspended a distance from the ceiling by hangers 25, the brackets 24 being substantially in corrugated formation to provide inclined sections 26 and substantially vertical sections 27 the inclined sections 26 receiving and supportin flat strips 28, preferably of wood, the wi th of said is provided to increase the current at, this Y strips being such that the upper edges there or dried.

. "In order to create a current of airadjacent, the ceiling, one half of the strips, or

' those atone side of the center of the kiln are inclined in one direction, while the strips at the opposite side of the center of the kiln are inclined in. the opposite direction, so that j one half of the aircurrent passing'through the passageways betweenwthe strips will be directed to one sideof the kiln, while the remaining portion of the current will be' di-' rected to the opposite side of the kiln;

In order to. prevent .the condensate gathered by the strips 28 and on the ceiling 23 from descending upon the timber, a gutter 15 or trough is positioned immediately below the lower edge of each strip f28, said gutters being suspended in any suitable manner from the brackets 24:, and as the @ondensate drips from the inclined strips it will de- 20 scend into the gutters and be conveyed to a' i discharge point and thus prevent the same from coming incontact with the timber.

In operation, jets of steam are first discharged through the ports 10 by opening the valve 31 in the pipe 9, thepassage of the steam through the sleeves ll-creating a sue tion in the extensions 12 and thus drawing the air through the extensions and mixing the same with the steam. This mixture after leaving the sleeves 11 passes upwardly through the vertical passageway 7 and v spreads-it through the transverse-passages 8 to the outer edges of the timber, and during certain stages of the drying operation the fans 16 are operatedto create or increase the travel ofthe air through the timber so that theparts'thereof will be properly cured It is also necessary at times, at a certain period in the drying operation to reverse the direction: of thetravel of the draft through the timber in which instance they pipe 9 carrying the sleeves 11 is. rotated until theopen end of'the sleeve 11 is directed downwardly, which is accomplished through the medium of a handle 32, and when the pipe is so turned the operation of the fan 16 is reversed, thus drawin the air'through the nozzles 21 and disc argin the same through the nozzles 15', in whic event the urrent of air-will travel first 'throu h the transverse passages 8 from the outer edges of the stack of timber-to the vertical passagejway 7, and thence downwardly and outwardly at the lower-end of the stackof timber. I V t f By placing the heaters directl above the. air duct 22, as shown, the air is eated. as it passes into thekiln and it will also be seen by discharging the air from the nozzles 21,

or from the sleeves 11 when said sleeves are pointing downwardly, the used air will be reheate and kept at a substantially uniform temperature throughoutthe confines of the i. kiln, thus drying the timber at the upper end of the stack at the same rate that the timber is dried at the lower end. of .the stack, or in other words, each piece of timber is dried the sarhe throughout the extent of the stack.

If it is found that the ,lower pieces of timber are becoming overheated, as when the drying process is first started and before the air is properly charged with the steam, the. exhaust from the motors employed'for' drivin' the fans. 16 may bedischarged into the v k' n" at a. point adjacent or below the lower end of the stack of timber, thus retaining the moistened condition of the timber at thisv point in uniformity with the timber at the upper portion of the stack.

The invention claimed is 1. The combination with stacks of timber arranged to provide passages therethrough, 3 r of means for, controlling a drying current '85 and causing the same to pass through said passages in either direction.

i 2. Means for drying timber, comprising heating elements for heating air, means to direct jets of steam into' passages tormed in the stacks of timbe'r,=means tocomingle heated air with the jets of steam, and j means to cause a draft through the passages in the stack of timber to cause the steam and .heatedair to reach all of the timber in the stack.

' 3. A dry kiln for drying timber, compris-' ing heating means extending belowstacks of timber in which are formed passages, and means at the. sides of the stacks of timberfor creating a draft through the passages in the'stacks of timber from top' to bottom; thereof. I I 4.- A dry kiln for timber, said timber being stacked in tiers and having passages therethrough, means below the stacks of timber for directing comingled air and steam into-Ithe passages, means along the sides of the stacks of timber for creatlng a draft through the passages in the stacks of timber, and means to reverse the travel of the draft through said passages. I

5. In a dry kiln for timber, the combination with stacks of timber arranged to form vertical andtransverse passages therethrough, of means at the sides of the stacks .of timber for creating a current through. sa1d passages in either direction.

.6.' Ina dry kiln for timber, the combina-v tion with stacks of timber having passages stormed therethrough, of pipes extending vertically of the stacks of timber, and means to caus'ea suction or draft through said pipes whereby a current will be caused to travel 1n either direction through the pas- 1' sages 1n the stacks'of timber.

7. The combination'with' stacks of timber assembled to form passage therethrough, of a steam conveying pipe below the Stacks of timber having ports there 1 30 through, means surrounding said ports for directing the jets of steam into the passages in the stack of timber, means to comingle air withthe jets of steam, and means to re- 5 tate said steam conveying pipe to change the course of travel of the ,alrgand steam.

- through said passages through the timber.

8. The combination with stacks of timber.

arranged to form passages 'therethrough,'of

I means to direct steam and air't-hrou-gh said passages, comprising a steam conveying pipe having ports. therethrough, sleeves through which the pipe extends, saidsleeves surrounding the ports, lateral tubular extensions j at,- one end of the sleeves through which air is drawn into the sleeves, and means to rotate the pipe for reversing the direction of travelof the air and steam through the passageways.

go 9. In a drying-kiln a plurality of pipe a'ong sections adapted to extend vertically the sides of stacks of timber, nozzles in said pipe sections, a {an arrangement for drawing or forcing air through said pipe sec- 26 tions andnozzles, a motor -for..runnin'g said fan, means to control the exhaust of said motor to discharge the sameat difl'erent oints and means to reverse the rotation of said motor and fan to change the direcsj 30 tion of travel 1 of the current through the pipe sections.

, 10: In aidry for timber, the. combi- -forreceiving from the strips.

nation with means for directing steam and- .j

air through stacks of timber, of means suspended above the. staclm of timber for directing currents adjacent the roof of the kiln and for collecting and conveying con- '1 densatel 11. In a drykiln for timber, brackets suspended from the ceilingof said. kiln, flatn strips carried by saidbrackets and spaced apart and supported atan angle, and means atv the lower edges of the strips for collectingandconveying condensate.

12. The-combination with a ceiling of a dry kiln, of-brackets suspended from said "ceiling, said brackets having inclined sections, strips resting upon said inclined secceiling, said brackets having inclined sections and substantiallyve'rtical sections, flat. strlps resting against the inclined sections,

said strips being spaced apart to form air passages, and means to receive and convey condensate discharged fromisaid'strips. 6o

" In, witness whereof,. I .,-have hereunto aiiixed my signature, i

- FREDERICK W. RUBIN. 

